Karate in the Olympics | ART OF ONE DOJO

We're excited to know that we're finally getting an Olympic Karate event in the 2020 Tokyo Olympic Games! In this episode we take a look at how the art will be included in the Olympics, the rules and regulations, and the competition details. Get ready for Olympic Karate!

Attributions:
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Jacques Delcourt Photo

Nippon Budokan Photo

Kyokushin Tournament Clip:
Kyokushin Hellas

Video Production by:
Fade 2 Black Productions, Inc.

#olympickarate
#karateinolympics
#olympickarate2020

[barrettokarate]

Karate is officially out of the Olympics after the 2020 games. Every host country has a say in what sports will be allowed at their Olympics. The next Olympics after Japan is in France. France is major powerhouse in WKF competitions around the world and they opted not to have karate back. The Olympics after that will be in the United States, and most likely they won't bring it back either.


Regarding what type of contact will be used in kumite bouts, all one really has to do is search for WKF matches to see what it will be like. As for the kata divisions, true the WKF only recognizes the four "main" styles of karate (that Dan showed) and kata from those styles specifically, but you don't have be a black belt in those arts. You can simply learn the approved versions of the kata. Many WKF competitors don't come from the "main four", like Jesse "Karate Nerd" Enkamp or Minako "Mina" Yamasaki. The compete using shito-ryu forms.

[jeredsizemore]

Imo it would be more interesting for them to do kyokushin rules. Control is demonstrated in Kata, power is demonstrated with kumite.

[taekwondomaster]

All of my students are a huge fan of your show Sensei. Peace ✌️ love ❤️ and blessings from Seaside, California.

[michaeldasalyaget]

I love the level of cheese that is thrown in casually while you are laying out a serious topic. Your delivery is excellent, and this makes me actually want to watch the Olympics this time around

[Brandon_Knight_]

I'm so excited that they are doing Katas along with sparring!

[williamdicarlo]

Thank you for this episode on the 2020 Olympics! Well done and please give us more of this kind of news. Good going Mr. Dan.

[gatorcroc]

I think it's interesting but considering we already have Taekwondo and Judo in the Olympics, yes I know those aren't Karate. But what I mean is what can Karate offer that Taekwondo, Judo, and other martial arts already offer? Full contact striking? Well, there's already Taekwondo and Boxing! Throws and Grappling? That's already Judo and the other Wrestling styles. If Kata is the only thing that separates Karate from the other martial arts, I'd say it's not as visually entertaining. That's just my opinion though.

[chadwassemiller]

Thanks for sharing, Sensei Dan! I appreciate your videos! Keep up the good work!

[benjaminpujols]

Wow I had no idea that is pretty awesome definitely appreciate the vids I've been learning a lot watching your vids about the different types of karate and it's pretty cool

[mjhonsun]

Great idea for a video! I hope this becomes the #1 search result for karate in the Olympics.

[EVENINGWOLF]

I"M kind of torn on this one..I mean considering what has happened to fencing...olympic fencing basically looks like two people trying to see who can hit the other persons weapons far enough away to make contact with little or no regard for how the weapon would be used in an actual sword fight. While I am glad to see more martial arts making their way into the olympics, I can also see the potential for olympic competition to become less a contest of actual practical skill and more a dance to see who can execute a technique in a minimally effective way that shows more an ability to follow a strict set of rules rather than any ability to actually use the techniques. Yes, I know that boxing hasn't degenerated into that, although olympic boxers are required to use more safety equipment than their professoinal counterparts, particularly the use of headgear in olympic boxing matches. To my mind the olympic athletes are supposed to represent the epitome of their chosen sport and thus should be able to show the highest levels of skill and endurance. We see this in every other sport, but in combat sports, the opposite seems to be the norm, instead of seeing the skills being used to their fullest and the athletes showing not only that skill, but their defensive skills as well, along with the high level of conditioning necessary to endure the hardships of a fight at that level. To be honest this sort of hist on something I had commented on before about how with every other sport, the EXTREME version is a more dangerous, higher risk version while with martial arts the opposite is the case and the only thing that makes extreme martial arts extreme is the inclusion of a lot of gymnastic flips and tumbling and the exclusion of combat effective fighting techniques, but I digress, sort of. My whole point is that instead of making them hold back and make the contests less interesting and less a real test and demonstration of actual skill than an exercise in unrealistic rules that not only detract from the skills of the competitors and re-inforceing the erroneous belief by so many, including trained, professional fighters, MMA practitioners, law enforcement and military personnel among others, that traditional martial arts are of no real use and have no place outside of the ring and that those that practice traditional martial arts are not effective fighters, they should be promoting the idea that these fighters are capable of the highest levels of skill and encouraging them to show what that level of skill can actually be
. And yes I know that a number of MMA practitoiners have trained in traditional martial arts but some of them do still hold to the idea that martial arts aren't useful outside the ring, some ever promoting the idea that one should never try to use their skills to defend themselves because they will always fail.


Olympic level martial artists should be able to fight full contact, as that is, outside of actual life and death combat, as true a representation of skill as we are likely to see. Your description of what the rules for Kumite are going to be just seem like it will prevent the fighters from showing not only their level of skill but from sowing that the techniques are usable and viable.

[Legkicker]

I think this would be good to put karate on the map, but in saying that I do think introducing a full contact competition to compliment the kata and light contact point sparring would be great for attracting fans because some people may not take point sparring seriously where as a full contact comp would show audience that the art is no joke which would attract some older students as a lot of people who do karate from my experience are young kids (which isn’t bad) which makes people think of it as just a sport or hobby as opposed to something more.

[jtilton]

I am also dissapointed that karate will not be included in 2024. Here in Thailand Muay Thai is considered a more rural and "Lo-So" activity, while Tae Kwon Do is considered a more "Hi-So" activity so it is taught in the more upscale private schools. One exception is the school I work for which doesn't have a Tae Kwon Do class, but instead has Shotokan Karate Do. One of our gym teachers started the program years ago because he is an Instructor and actually competed representing JKA Thailand in the World Championships back in the early 2000's. Karate is very small here in Thailand, which means alummni of my school if they kept up their training would have a chance of representing Thailand in the Olympic games. Here's hoping for 2028, and GANBATEE to all the Olympian Karateka in 2020!

[chadwassemiller]

Howdy! I appreciate the fact that as a Karatedo practitioner, I think it's awesome that it is added to the Olympic games! I was, at first, kinda like why so few styles are represented in Kata, until you explained why! I do agree that too much politics is a terrible thing, in anything, especially Martial Arts, but when it gets too political, it does (in my opinion), cause people to lose focus on what Martial Arts is all about; which is doing our best and improving our selves and our art; the worst thing is that too much politics creates divisions instead of inclusion (and understanding)! I say this because politics hinders us coming together as Martial Artists (no matter what style, or what art)! Thanks for your videos!

[kenziegough]

I can wait to watch it! It's just a shame that they won't be doing it in the 2024 Olympics 😔

[HBROGUH]

Watching this in 2024. I hope the channel is still going strong !!!

[Soldier-of-God.]

Good morning Sensei Dan, how are you? Here is hoping that your day is off to an excellent start. First and foremost I am pleased that for next year's, Tokyo 2020 Summer Olympic Games, Karate has been introduced as another martial arts sports, besides the already established ones of Judo, freestyle wrestling, Greco-Roman wrestling, taekwondo and boxing!

What is disappointing is that we are always at it again, in this childish back and forth games by the International Olympic Committee (IOC) crowns who are out of touch and like a mafia organisation, acting unreasonably and diplomatically. What I am referring to is that taekwondo had the same problem, it had been introduced at the Seoul, South Korean, Olympic Summer games. Only to be removed and not reappear permanently once again, if my memory serves me correctly at the 2000 Summer Olympic games of Sydney, Australia. If I am not mistaken Wushu had been an introduction martial arts sport, at the Beijing Summer Olympics, only to be axed from it thereafter. These cretins of the IOC need to be dismissed and replaced with more open minded, progressive individuals, who are truly sensible, wise, as well as in touch with reality, giving what us sporting fans truly want.

To allow a sport to form part of an Olympic Games event, only to dismiss at other Olympic Games, is idiotic and time consuming in my opinion. The International Olympics Committee needs to be replaced by getting rid of most of its corrupt members, just like FIFA (Federal International Football Association) soccer's global governing body did, when it dismissed the former corrupt president of its organisation, Sapp Blatter and his cronies, for taking bribe money and other corrupt, administrative practices. Now that such people are gone for good, FIFA functions more smoothly, more transparent and soccer fans around the world are more happy, as our voices are heard.

Now back to Karate in the Olympics, since there are two types of wrestling, freestyle and Greco-Roman wrestling, with each having their own sets of rules, to cater for the similarities, but most importantly the differences, for its respective competitors, then why should Olympic Karate sort to speak, not have just Kata and point scoring events, but why not its third event variation being full contact Karate?

That way everyone has a chance to participate, in terms of their level of ability, physical athleticism, conditioning, as well as their own personal level of comfort in whichever type of rules they would feel comfortable and safe to do so. The IOC needs to realise that people will participate in full contact sports, whether they deem it safe or unsafe. At the end of the day those who participate in such sports, do so out of their own free will and are highly trained, as well as physically and psychologically well prepared and conditioned to do so. These Olympic Committee morons are seriously out of touch and I can see why Brazilian jiu-jitsu governing federations, refuse to have the IOC get involved and become their overall governing and sanctioning organisation, given that they will become watered down sports, as has been the case with both Olympic style Judo and Olympic Style taekwondo. The irony of this Sensei Dan, is that the Olympics having its origins in Ancient Greece, in those ancient times wrestling and the ancient hybrid mixed martial art of Pankration or Pankrase, were part of the ancient Greek and original Olympic games, where in both sports at times participants could and did die.

We do not need that in modern times as you said, however also not a childish, watered down and ridiculous version of combat sports either. The Olympic Committee hides behind the excuse of making them children and family friendly events. Children these days play video games or watch films with far more graphically depicted violence, not to mention the inappropriate materials that they search, or share amongst themselves on the internet, through social media.

Now point scoring or light contact Karate is not so bad entirely, after all. I can see its merits and also validity in a martial artist's journey when it comes to refined and precise skill, as well as technique. Your fellow American Kenpo Karate, taekwondo and kickboxing exponent, former K-1 World Grand and Glory Kickboxing fighter and current Bellator MMA world kickboxing champion, as well former Karate world champion, Sensei Raymond Daniels said the following. Point scoring and light contact Karate made him work to fine tune his speed, footwork, timing, reflex reactions, accuracy and technique, delivery precision, as well as intelligent strategy against his opponents, given that he could not strike them full power, to end the fights in knockouts.

Once Sensei Raymond Daniels transitioned into full contact Karate as well as kickboxing and mixed martial, he said that his reflexes, technique, footwork, speed, evasion and reactions made him unpredictable, as well as hard to hit by his opponents, often making them miss and capitalise for a knockout counterattack in response. His only adjustment needed in full contact fighting, was doing lots of full contact conditioning drills, to get used to the physical demands punishment of full contact fighting. So overall everything is important and beneficial in martial arts.

As for Kata I disagree with limiting it to a number of styles. I do not need to be an expert in Chinese Kung Fu/Wushu, taekwondo, Tang Soo Do, Hapkido, Hwa Rang Do, Capoeira, etc to know what to look for in terms of the forms/katas at tournaments. You yourself Sensei Dan I am sure have been able to see for yourself, irrelevant of your background in American Kenpo, watching the awful forms/katas, of the unfortunate individuals attending McDojos. To put it simply our good friend and fellow bonafide martial artist, Sensei Ichi and two of his students, were invited to compete at a Shotokan Karate tournament. The three of them did extremely well with their katas/forms, against the other Shotokan Karate exponents, coming with two third place trophies in the kata division and one fourth place trophy! The point is that they competed at a Shotokan Karate tournament, using their Tang Soo Do (Pomse) katas/forms. So obviously the Shotokan Karate judges irrelevant of these three individuals using a Korean martial art's form in a Japanese martial art's forms/katas competition, was not a problem for the judging criteria.

At Kyokushin Karate tournaments though not a frequent occurrence, from time to time we have had Kung Fu stylists compete in our katas competitions and successfully doing. You and I would agree Sensei Dan, that if we were judging a kata/forms competition from say Hapkido or Kung Fu for example, that although we do not know those forms or katas from those styles, that we would be looking for criteria aspects such as power, speed, posture, balance, stances, timing, the right pauses in between each technique, instead of washing machine style, where one technique is mixed right into another, win without clear distinction of where one movement ends or begins from another one.

So again limiting even kata event at the Olympics, to participants of only a selected number of Karate styles, seems to me ludicrous. Now then there is ambiguity of katas themselves. While mostly the same not only amongst my fellow Kyokushin Karate practitioners, I have noticed that some Shotokan, Goju-Ryu or Wado Ryu Karate practitioners for example, even amongst themselves there is at times, slight different movements in some of the same katas that they practice.

So based on that logic or analogy, given Kyokushinkaikan finds its origins in both Shotokan and Goju-Ryu Karate, both of which form part of the styles recognised for the Olympic Karate Kata event. Would I then theoretically be able to argue my case, against the clowns of the Olympic Committee and tell them that in Kyokushin Karate, we have our katas from both Goju-Ryu and Shotokan Karate, emanate both styles, thus be allowed compete in the katas competitions? In my opinion any style of Karate should allowed enter kata event. Since as I said they should be judged on the performance factors, such adequate power, speed, posture, timing, balance and also credibility of the performer exhibiting the katas. Lastly I sincerely hope that Karate will become a permanent fixture at the Olympic Games, along with other combat sports such boxing, wrestling, judo and taekwondo, however with the added, alternative inclusion, as an added possibility full contact Karate. So glad that you decided to highlight Karate as an Olympic event, outstanding job as always Sensei Dan, Osu!🥋🇲🇽🇦🇺✌👍😊

[williamw]

Very cool 👍 there are so many different types of martial arts...they should ALL be a part of the Olympics. Would be so cool if Art of One Dojo could cover the martial arts at the Olympics when they compete! Would be great to have commentators like you for the Olympic martial arts division that knew the particulars of what they were covering. 👍

[edrichlouw]

Personally I find the light contact and kyokoshin full contact but no face hitting equally silly, there’s no need for the “superiority” thing. If you go full contact you should be allowed too hit anywhere with only a few obvious exceptions. Personally I really dislike point sparing (non continuous) as it makes people adopt wierd stances and it stops as soon as it gets fun.

[taekwondomaster]

You have a lot of knowledge Sensei Dan. Sensei can you please do a video on the history of Hapkido? Thank you Sensei.